American Beauty

After years of struggle,PRISCILLAAQILLAis now a rising star in the fitness bikini scene.

- Shawn Donnelly

If you’ve ever been mocked for your appearance, know this: You can have the last laugh. Just ask Priscilla Aqilla. Back in high school, Aqilla was a little heavy—especially below the waist. And her classmates noticed. “I was always picked on for my big lower body, my big legs,” recalls Aqilla. “It was really heartbreaking for me.”

But with the aid of weight training, which she discovered while playing volleyball in high school, Aqilla slowly transformed her physique into the envy-inducing body you see here. Now her muscular legs are a point of pride, and she’s competing in fitness bikini shows, booking modeling gigs, and piling up the followers on social media. Here’s what else the 23-year-old stunner told us about her unlikely foray into fitness, her love for glute training, and her favorite cheat meal.

So how did you go from pudgy high school volley­ ball player to the toned woman we see now?

When I started lifting weights, I realized that I didn’t have to shrink my lower body, I could build it. With diet and training, my body started changing and my legs became more defined. I started losing a lot of fat around that area, and I started seeing strong legs, really defined quads, and I loved it. I was like, “You know what? This might not be bad after all, having big legs.”

They were a blessing in disguise.